Write It Down

Once the high of the engagement wears off, it's time to get down to planning! Ok, but what does that really mean? For some it means mom takes over and you just go along with the program. For others, it means you corral a few good friends (a.k.a. your bridesmaids) into helping you and your fiance meet with various hotels, locales, and vendors. And for some, it may mean interviewing Wedding Planners to help you get to I Do. Whatever your situation, there's lots of information to be gathered whether you get it online, from reading books and magazines or from friends and family alike. Before things get out-of-hand and you find yourself in information overload, go to the bookstore or nearest stationary store and buy yourself a pretty journal - one that will fit into most of your handbags because you're going to take this everywhere with you for the next 6 months, 9, months, 12 months or whatever the duration until your BIG DAY. Find one that you really really like and begin to record your random thoughts and ideas, as well as your fiance's, in there. Take notes at each vendor meeting, during each phone call, dress shopping expedition, pretty much for all things wedding-related. This way, you dont have to rely on your memory; trust me 4 months after your menu tasting you are not going to remember precisely why you liked that second course much less exactly what it was, but all of your thoughts (and his too!) will be recorded in your trusty notebook and you'll be able to refer back to it when you need to.Your wedding professionals, from the folks at the venue to your hairdresser, will be glad that you've got a wedding notebook - it's kind of like a court transcript - there's something to refer back to when memories get fuzzy a few months down the line. Don't take it the wrong way if someone forgets a tiny detail that was important to you a few weeks or months after your initial meeting with them; remember, although it's your BIG DAY, you're not the only bride on their roster!

[image from Kate's Paperie]